The Idea of Idea Management

June 4, 2019

By Peter Hellekant

So what is so damn important about being open to ideas, anyway?  I think most people are open to new ideas, as long as they don’t involve change or affecting daily life.  There is an old saying; “that’s the way we have always done it or we have never done it that way!”.  Although I would like to think that this is not true, in my line of work I do often come across this, despite working for a company that is in the forefront of technology and innovation.  Some people are just more prone to invent and think in new ways and some like it just the way it is, with small changes over a long period of time often started by themselves.  I think both types are needed for a company to be successful.  I also think both types are good and healthy, one type that are frustrated by the fact that nothing changes and the other one that wants to take things in a nice orderly fashion.  So how do we encourage ideas and how do we manage them?  I believe we need to have an environment that makes everyone feel comfortable to try new ways and to be comfortable with the fact that not all ideas are good or feasable or for that matter can be realized.  Most important I think is that you are comfortable with failure and that this is okey within the organization, because if you aren’t willing to step out of your comfort zone I don’t think you are going to be very innovated.  Ideas fuel more ideas and suddenly the ball is rolling :).